Cross-sectoral work is a mindset

Youth Work Talks Conference 2025

Written by Nik Paddison

Who are you? Where are you from, and what is it that you are doing?

Helen: My name is Helen. I am from a little city in Estonia called Pärnu and I am a mobile youth worker. I have been doing this for almost three years now. My work takes place mainly in the streets, doing youth work with young people in different spots where they hang out.

They are mostly in the shopping centres, bus stations, and skate parks, though when it is warmer weather, we also find them in the parks or on the beach. When we meet the young people, we engage with them. If we don't know them yet, we introduce ourselves and try to get to know them a bit, find out their needs and wishes. Besides working on the streets, we also do group work, individual work, community work, network cooperation and we work on the internet.

One of the key rules of our work is that participation is voluntary. If the young people say that they don't want to talk right now, then we don't bother them. But mostly they are very welcoming, and they want to talk to us.

Jekaterina: Hi, my name is Jekaterina, and I work as a case manager in the Youth Guarantee Support System in Pärnu, Estonia. The Youth Guarantee programme is part of a Europe-wide initiative, though each country implements it differently.

In Pärnu, it is managed by the Social Security Board and the city council. My main role is one-on-one counselling with young people who are not studying or working, including newcomers and immigrants. Together with each young person, I help identify goals, explore opportunities, and combine available resources to find solutions that best suit their individual situation.

What are the issues the young people are facing that you're working with?

Helen: Well, I guess there are many, but I feel the biggest ones are not wanting to go to school or having mental health problems, actually that is probably the biggest one. Some experience troubles at home and other issues. Also, many young people just don’t have hobbies or an opportunity to join activities they would like to. One of the reasons for this is not knowing or not having enough information about the possibilities they have and that’s where we can help them.

Jekaterina: I work a lot with NEET young people - NEET stands for "Not in Employment, Education or Training”. I think it's important to differentiate between the official reasons why young people become NEET and the personal reasons they describe themselves.

Sometimes the cause lies in the family system, where support is limited or missing altogether. Other times, there are relationship problems at school, conflicts with teachers or peers, or experiences of bullying. Some young people face mental health issues, substance abuse, or have a criminal background that makes moving forward difficult. In addition, there might be unrealistic labour market expectations – both from the young person, their parents, and employers. These expectations can create pressure and confusion instead of support.

There are also cases where it’s simply a lack of motivation, direction, or information. Some young people don’t have any of these specific problems, they just don’t yet know who they want to become. And that’s okay.

What is your approach towards the personal growth of the young people?

Helen: So, on the streets, what we mostly do is we try to develop their social skills and at the same time reduce the risk behaviours. For example, we encourage them to visit youth centres, so they can participate in healthy and developing activities.

We also encourage them to create an activity or event themselves and offer our support to help them achieve these things. We play games with them on the streets, for example card games where they can develop the skill of self-expression and communication.

We spend time with them trying to find out their needs and wishes and try to find possibilities and solutions with them. We try to give them opportunities to develop in different areas. The basis of working with young people is a relationship of trust, and building this can take time. Therefore it is necessary to be consistent and patient.

Jekaterina: My approach is based on trust, empowerment, and individual pace. I believe every young person already has the strengths and resources they need, and my role is to help them recognise and use them. I start by building a safe, non-judgmental relationship, and through one-on-one conversations we explore their experiences and values to find what motivates them.

Personal growth begins with small steps – setting realistic goals, celebrating progress, and learning from challenges. I help young people connect with opportunities, people, and environments that support their development, whether returning to education, finding a job, or rediscovering confidence and purpose.

Growth is a collaborative process: the young person leads, and I walk beside them, offering guidance, reflection, and encouragement.  We use something called the “MI technique for motivational interviewing”.

Can you explain what that means?

Jekaterina: It works by reflecting back what the young person says or the feelings behind their words, which helps them feel heard and understood. Sometimes the young person will say, “No, that’s not what I meant,” which signals that I need to clarify.

When I understand correctly, it gives them feedback that we are on the same page. All aimed at evoking motivation and supporting the young person in finding their own solutions and setting their own goals.

What about the cross-sectoral approach that's taking place, who are the different people and organisations you are working with?

Helen: In mobile youth work the main partners of ours are the police, child protective services, and social services, but also other youth centres and youth workers. We will cooperate with anyone that we need to.

For example, if the young person needs mental health support, we will talk with therapists and the health care system. Our biggest partner, apart from the police and social services, is the Youth Guarantee Support System.

And what does the cooperation look like?

Helen: If, for example, an underage young person says that they are not going to school or they have some serious troubles at home with their family, by law we have to talk with child protective services. The first thing we do is to talk with the young person about the legal obligations on us, so they know we have to talk with another agency.

We do this as a way for keeping their trust. When we contact child protective services we quickly find out if the young person already has a case file. If they do, we can get to know some background and the child protective services can tell us how they need our help, like how can we support the young person.

Jekaterina: I want to emphasise that we work very hard to protect the privacy of the young person, when doing mobile youth work. We are in their space on the streets, and this needs to be respected.

Helen: Our cooperation with another agency or organisation is not a fixed contract, it really is just cooperation. When there is need, we approach them and they know that they can rely on us and get support for the young person also from us, if that is necessary.

We do meet annually with some of the other sectors and youth centres we cooperate with and make new agreements for ongoing cooperation.

What does the cross-sector cooperation in the Youth Guarantee Support System look like?

Jekaterina: In the Youth Guarantee Support System cross-sectoral cooperation is essential, because no single organisation can meet all the needs of a young person alone. Our work depends on the entire network supporting the young person, not just one professional. Supporting a young person requires collaboration between education, employment, health, social work, and the youth work sector.

No young person is involved against their will – all cooperation is based on their voluntary participation. If a young person needs additional services beyond individual counselling, the specialist brings together relevant partners such as schools, career advisors, social workers, child protective services, psychologists, housing advisors, representatives of local entrepreneurs, NGOs, youth centres or justice professionals. We create a network around them with each partner contributing their expertise.

We see this cooperation like a puzzle: each sector is a piece. On its own, it is incomplete, but when the pieces come together, we can see the bigger picture of the young person’s life. This approach is built on confidentiality, legislation, good practice agreements, and networking. Mobile youth work is also key, allowing us to reach young people in their own environment, build trust, and connect them step by step with the right services.

Cross-sector cooperation is not just a method, it’s a mindset, and we are lucky to work with professionals who share the same goals and understand the importance of networking together.

Helen and Jekaterina

Helen and Jekaterina are both from Parnu in Estonia. Helen is a mobile youth worker for almost three years now. Jelena works as a case manager in the Youth Guarantee Support System.